Penance
by Redirectedx
Summary: After being possessed by Validar to seize the Fire Emblem, Robin is left to grapple with one question: What's more important to him- his friends, or his own life? Quick two-part interpretation of the judgement scene from Fire Emblem: Awakening.
1. Sin

**A/N: Oh, boy, do I have some opinions about the Judgement scene. I think the scene had realistic potential to be the most intense, impactful and meaningful point in the entire Awakening story and it... well, it just kindof wasn't. In my opinion, the dialogue was basic and the premise and context of the scene was a little strange. This all being said, here's my take on the Judgement scene from Fire Emblem: Awakening in a quick two-chapter format. This also marks my return from my long hiatus! I've been gone for around 4 months now, but I'm back! Hopefully I can get around to writing more stories and updating established ones in the near future, but for now, here's a quick story that I used as a refresher on how the whole writing thing works. Rate, review, and enjoy! **

**\- Red**

* * *

_All at once, thousands of invisible needles jabbed through Robin's head, sending him crumbling to the stone floor below him. Using one hand to prop himself up and the other to clutch at the side of his head in a desperate attempt to soothe the burning in his skull, he looked up to find Validar standing menacingly above him._

_"Seize the Emblem and bring it to me."_

_The more Robin tried to fight the static in his head the more the searing pain increased, causing him to grit his teeth and pound __the floor with a clenched fist._

_"No... Nngh," Robin hissed. "Gods, get out of my head!"_

_"I will not ask you again, boy. Bring me the Emblem."_

_"I... Help me... Gods, it hurts..." Robin groaned hoarsely, drops of sweat beginning to cover his forehead and drip onto the ground. _

_Letting out a blood curdling scream, the burning inside of his head turned into an intense cold- a sensation that spread instantly through his chest and towards his arms and legs. __His eyes shot open, now black and lifeless. While a thin purple mist was beginning to rise out of his eye sockets, he convulsed and trembled, fighting valiantly against Validar's influence._

_It wasn't enough._

_With a sudden jolt, Robin's body went rigid before he hoisted himself up and turned to face Chrom._

_"Robin, what are you doing? What's gotten into you-" Chrom began before being interrupted by a deafening bolt of electricity which sent him flying through the air before violently coming to a stop against the wall behind him._

_"Father!"_

_"Chrom!"_

_The Fire Emblem came clattering to the floor at his feet, leaving the Shepherds stunned beyond words._

_Averting their eyes to the source of the blast, they found Robin, a hand raised in the air pointing in Chrom's direction, smoke peeling off of his fingers from the thunder spell._

_"Excellent, boy," Validar sneered. "Now, bring it to me."_

_Without a second's hesitation, Robin walked calmly to Chrom's unconscious body and picked up the Emblem, studying it for a short moment in his hands before delivering it to Validar. _

_"Well done, my child..." Validar purred before being engulfed in a flash of white light, escaping with the Emblem._

_One final wave of needles shot through Robin's body as he fell to the floor, coming to rest on his hands and knees. Life returned to his eyes as he began to cough violently, each cough racking his body and adding to the pulsating headache threatening to breach his temples. __Over the top of the ringing in his ears, Robin made out the cluttering of gear, panicked shouting and heavy footsteps as Lucina and the rest of the Shepherds made hastily towards the unconscious Exalt._

_Robin felt a hand on his shoulder, lightly shaking him and returning him to reality as the ringing slowly began to subside._

_"D-dad? Are you okay?"_

_Robin looked up to find Morgan kneeling down beside him, a mixed look of worry and fear he'd never seen on her face before as she glanced erratically between him and the wall to his left._

_"Morgan? Nngh, where is Validar? What happened?"_

_"Dad...?"_

_Robin had just enough time to avert his gaze away from his daughter before he violently vomited a thick, black liquid onto the ground below him. _

_Morgan recoiled back, shock evident on her face as she fell backwards and pushed herself away from him._

_Robin took a few long, labored breaths before he lifted himself enough to fall backwards, propping his back against the wall behind him. He began to notice the other Shepherds staring at him in various shades of shock, anger, and fear. _

_Looking to his right, his heart sank as he saw the form lying on the ground. Lissa was knelt beside Chrom's body with a healing staff above his chest, eyes clenched shut as she focused the healing magic through the Exalt's body._

_"Hey... wait," Robin mumbled absentmindedly, his breathing becoming short and difficult as he pieced together what had happened. Panicking, he propped himself on one hand in an attempt to lift himself upright before falling back down to the ground. __Settling for a crawl, Robin slowly began making his way across the room towards Chrom's body before he felt a crushing impact against his ribs, sending him back down onto the ground. He looked up, and met the stern glare of Frederick._

_"Don't move another inch, traitor," Frederick spat, lacing so much venom into the last word that ice dashed through Robin's chest as his heart sank._

_"What... W-what have I done? Gods... No. Chrom?!"_

* * *

"Chrom!"

Robin shot up with a start, eyes wide as he clutched at the cloth below him that he immediately knew belonged to one of the makeshift hospital beds in camp.

The events of the day began to flood back to him, driving him even further to panic as he began to hyperventilate.

"Huh?" Lissa mumbled groggily from a corner of the tent before seeing him trashing about under the covers and rushing to his side, pushing him back down to the bed. "Robin, hey, calm down! You're okay!"

"No. No! Where's Chrom? Where is the Emblem?" Robin panted, struggling against the princess as he desperately tried to sit back up.

"Its not here, Robin!" Lissa shot back as Robin froze with a hopeless look on his face. "Its gone. The only thing you need to do right now is sit there and heal. You almost died, you know."

Robin shut his eyes and let his head fall back onto the bed below him with a soft thud.

"Gods dammit, I was hoping that was just a terrible dream... Is Chrom okay? He isn't here," Robin asked quietly, looking around at the empty line of beds along the wall of the tent.

Noticing his worry, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright. He's fine. He's been up and walking since yesterday morning."

"Thank Naga for that. Lissa, I'm sor-" he began before what she said finally hit him. "Wait. Did you say _yesterday_ _morning_?"

"Yeah, you were out cold," Lissa said as she shot him a cheeky grin and nodded. "That fight took something out of everyone. It also doesn't help when you're on the receiving end of Frederick's boot."

Robin rolled his eyes.

_Oh, right, _he thought. _If he didn't hate me before, he definitely hates me now._

Propping himself up with an elbow, Robin hissed as he slowly sat upright and got a good look at his bare chest.

"Yikes," Robin grumbled. "You've been busy. I didn't make the last few days too hard on you, did i?"

Lissa huffed theatrically. "Well, this _is_ my job, isn't it?"

The two shared a short laugh before quieting down again.

"You wanna know what I miss?" Lissa asked with a wistful smile on her face.

"What's that?"

"Whale watching on the Ylissean coast. Just you, Chrom and I."

Robin chuckled, reminded of the good memories he, Chrom, and the cleric had made together. "Yeah, that was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

"Are you kidding? I'd take anything over this," Lissa groaned. "I was only what, seventeen? You have no idea what I would do to go back to that. Just me and family, not having to worry about great wars or living husks of dead stuff walking around and killing things."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Robin smirked slightly. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not actually a part of your family? You're part of an incredibly prestigious bloodline- you're _actual_ royalty. I woke up in the middle of a stupid field. We seem to view family a lot differently, young lady."

Lissa rolled her eyes, a fake expression of displeasure on her face. "Firstly? You know what I mean, weirdo. Secondly? Stop calling me that, you know I hate it."

"Yeah. Yeah, don't worry, I do," Robin laughed quietly before taking a moment to think. "Out of everything I know in this world, you and Chrom will always be the closest things I have to family. Obviously not counting Morgan, but you get what I mean. You guys have been there since, well, as long as I can remember, and I'm never going to forget that."

"Good," Lissa smiled mischievously. "Cause after this, you're never gonna get away from us!"

The two shared another laugh before Robin's face took on a more serious expression, his eyes squinting and zigzagging around the room as he always did when something was troubling him.

"Hey, I uh... About what happened..."

Lissa quirked an eyebrow, silently asking him to explain further.

"...How are people taking it?" he finally asked after a few moments.

Lissa bit her cheek, unsure of how to respond.

"People are... upset," she began. "It's taken nearly half the camp to keep Frederick from storming the tent and taking you out himself."

Robin sighed. "Can you blame him, really? As long as I'm here, I'm a danger to everyone else. People have had their doubts about me and honestly have had every reason to. But now I've given up one of the most powerful assets Ylisse has ever known to a crazed psychopath- a crazed psychopath who apparently is also my father, might I add. That, and I shot our Exalt in the chest with a bolt of lightning to get it. Of course he wants to kill me! It would be foolish not to!"

"Robin, listen," Lissa said calmly, sitting down on a chair next to him and laying a hand on the white-haired man's shoulder. "I've known you for nearly four years now. I've gone into battle with you more times than I can count. I know you, and I know what happened with Validar wasn't your fault. You do this, you know... You always drag yourself through the mud for things you don't have any control over."

"I know it wasn't my fault. I know it wasn't," Robin sighed. "But that isn't what is important here. What happens the next time Validar takes control over me and I can't fight it, Lissa? Who will I harm then? What if I harm Chrom again, or harm Lucina, or what if I harm Morgan?"

Lissa studied him for a few moments before he shrugged her hand off his shoulder and cleared his throat.

"There's... something I need to do," Robin said timidly. "This is incredibly important, Lissa. Can you let me out of this tent for a minute so I can do that?"

Lissa was surprised by Robin's sudden change of mood. He had been stressed lately, sure, but over the last few weeks the cracks in Robin's mental armor had made themselves especially apparent. While she was unsure of what exactly it was that Robin was speaking of, she understood the look in Robin's eyes- this was important to him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting a few moments to open them.

"Okay. Just don't do anything stupid, Robin. I mean it."

Robin nodded, hanging his legs over the edge of the bed before gingerly sliding to his feet, steadying himself before walking to a stool where his signature coat and his favorite dagger lay on. He stood for a few moments before turning around.

"Lissa, I-"

Before Robin could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by two arms reaching around him and pulling him into a tight hug. He froze for a few seconds before returning the hug with a deep sigh.

After what seemed like an hour, Lissa pulled away, the fact that her hands took their time pulling away not escaping him. Looking her over, it looked like tears could begin to fall at any moment.

"I trust you, Robin. Go do what you need to do," Lissa said quietly.

Robin nodded with a small smile before sliding his dagger into its sheath on his hip. "Thank you, Lissa."

With one final glance towards the Exalt's sister, and a sorrowful smile, Robin disappeared through the flaps of the tent.

He never intended to see her again.


	2. Penance

_Well, _Robin thought to himself. _This is it._

He had been walking for nearly half an hour now, hoping to get as far away from the Shepherds as possible. That way, he couldn't possibly hurt them.

But that wasn't enough... was it?

He decided that he had put enough distance between himself and camp to stop and take a few moments to relax. Surveying his surroundings, he found a small, flat boulder and sat himself down with a loud sigh. Loathe as he was to admit it, the hills of Plegia were indescribably beautiful at night. Rolling hills of sand caught the glint of the dusk-time sky, illuminated by bright stars and constellations. It was a beautiful mix of green, purple, blue, and red that made it impossible to pull his eyes away.

At the very least, it offered Robin a small amount of solace knowing that Naga herself was watching over him, somewhere.

So was Grima.

"Naga, give me strength," Robin muttered quietly as he lost himself in the night sky.

His thoughts drifted to the remaining Shepherds. He could only imagine how his actions had affected the atmosphere and morale of his allies. How did they view him now? Was he an enemy? Did they hate him now?

Over the last few years, Robin had become close friends to a few of his fellow Shepherds. This was no surprise, however, as fighting alongside the same comrades over the course of several major conflicts logically leads to tight bonds.

Firstly, he had grown fond of Cordelia, the Shepherds' red-haired pegasus knight. They would spend many a long night discussing literature, philosophy, and their favorite novels until the sun rose the next day. Regardless of how passionate Cordelia was about her books, Robin had little room to complain- it was a welcome change from a world of war and strife.

Although seemingly a strange pair, he had been able to adjust to Lon'qu's hard exterior and find a kind hearted and honest man. When he had issues, Lon'qu was almost always there with an ear and and eye. When he had been cut down in battle, Robin took the loss hard- he always lost himself in grief when a Shepherd was killed.

Robin wasn't the only one crushed by Lon'qu's death, however. It wasn't a secret that Chrom's sister had held a crush on the swordsman, and being able to share in their grief was a privilege that both Robin and Lissa were incredibly grateful for- while they had been acquaintances before, that had been the moment they had become real friends. Ever since Lon'qu's death, Lissa had been wary of finding herself falling for people and was one of the few unwed Shepherds left.

Lastly, ever since the war against Valm, Virion had connected with Robin in a much more personal way than most of the other Shepherds. Once Virion had confessed to him the true nature of his origins as the Duke of Rosanne, Robin found himself able to sympathize much more with the archer. In a purely interpersonal way, Virion had become one of Robin's closest friends. While Robin may tell him that he only kept him around because willing participants for Robin's trademark games of chess were hard to come by, he was an honest man and a loyal friend.

That being said, the opinion of some worried him more than others. Robin had always had an interesting relationship with Frederick. He had found ways to justify Frederick's stubborn demeanor towards him that made enough sense, but Lucina had always been unnecessarily cold to him. No matter where he went, who he was with, or what he was doing, Lucina was always somewhere close by. At first, he wasn't sure of her reasoning. Until then, he had simply boiled it down to a dislike of him as a person, but now he understood.

She had to have known. There was no other explanation for how she treated him, but this left him with an uncomfortable question. Why hadn't she killed him yet? Why hadn't any of the future children killed him yet?

Without him, none of his friends would be hurt.

Without him, the Fire Emblem is not stolen.

Without him, Chrom is never killed.

That last thought was the one that sobered him the most, and gave him enough strength to do what he knew he had to do. He closed his eyes, and with a sigh he laid his hand where his signature dagger sit in its sheath.

* * *

Once Chrom had discovered that Robin had slipped out of camp, he gave Lissa a short scolding before calling an emergency meeting in the command tent. He was fully aware of what happened at the Plegian castle, and fully aware of the effect it had on his Shepherds- however, this did not change the fact that Robin hadn't been in control and did not deserve to shoulder the blame for what happened.

Ever since he and his sister had found him unconscious in that field, their bond had grown into something stronger than simple camaraderie. Day after day, battle after battle, and conflict after conflict, he had trusted Robin with his life more times than he could fathom to count. The reality was simple, and that reality was that Chrom and Robin were brothers in all but blood.

Shaking his head and returning himself to reality, he found that most of the Shepherds had entered the tent and were eyeing Chrom worriedly. He felt a hand slip into his own and squeeze, turning to find Lissa looking up at him with an anxious smile. Chrom squeezed back and returned a soft smile of his own.

"You okay, sis?"

"Yeah. I'm just... I'm worried. I hope he's okay. And if he isn't, then it would be my fault."

Chrom gave her a sympathetic look before sighing deeply.

"Even if some of us put on a hard appearance, I think we all are worried about him. It'll be alright, Lissa. We will organize a search party and find him in no time."

Lissa let out a soft, humorless laugh. "I hope so."

Once the last of the Shepherds had filed in, Chrom cleared his throat commandingly before speaking.

"Thank you all for being here on such short notice, but I'm afraid we must act with relative haste," he began as he looked to each Shepherd with a nod, taking a silent headcount. "However, it would be foolish to act while not acknowledging the facts of recent events. I am wholly aware of exactly what transpired in the Plegian castle, as are you all. This changes nothing."

Without realizing it, his hand drifted to the deep bruise in the center of his chest, fingers brushing lightly over the surface of the fabric before he continued.

"I am also wholly aware of the sentiment around camp. I am sure that some of you hold an amount of disdain and anger in your hearts, but I ask you to set that aside. Around an hour ago, Robin managed to slip out of camp, and has been missing since then. It is imperative that we find him and ensure that he returns to camp safely. Understood?"

A quiet, affirming murmur spread throughout the tent, but the mild displeasure on a few faces cut plainly through the sound.

Chrom crossed his arms, satisfied enough with the response. "Now, I would prefer to travel light and cover as much ground as possible. We will not be requiring a large group, but any and all help is greatly appreciated. Preferably, this search party will consist of seven members, as it is important for some of you to stay and watch the camp. Who will be joining me?"

"I'll go," Lissa said from his side, receiving a nod from his older brother.

"I will be joining you as well," Lucina added from a corner of the tent.

"I must go!" Owain announced dramatically.

"As will I, milord," came Frederick.

"I wanna come, too," Morgan said timidly, betrayed by the determined spark in her eye.

"Pray, allow me to assist you," Virion said confidently.

Chrom looked to each of the six volunteers before nodding approvingly. "Perfect. You all have five minutes to prepare. Nagaspeed, everyone."

With that, the Shepherds began to exit, chatting amongst themselves as they prepared to search for their lost tactician.

* * *

As Robin sat, he shut his eyes and reflected on the events that had led him to this point. Every battle, every moment, and every laugh he could recall vividly. All of the hours he had spent up at night, drafting battle plans and working tirelessly to ensure the Shepherds' success had shattered in a matter of seconds.

And the blame rested solely on his shoulders.

There weren't any more justifications to be made, or rationalizations to excuse himself with. Before, he had always convinced himself that he had the mental and physical strength to combat whatever was thrown his way, that the nightmares that had plagued his dreams for years were just that: dreams. But now, having lost control, assaulted Chrom and stolen the Emblem, his path became as clear as day. He couldn't be allowed to hurt his comrades again.

Robin took a deep breath, shaking his head as he exhaled. Opening his eyes, he saw the star-filled sky again. There was always something truly breathtaking about the night sky. The thousands of stars, proudly shining down onto him, with a kind of otherworldly innocence. Disconnected from the world, yet attached all the same. It was a scene of seemingly random points, brightnesses and shapes- but he knew that they were all equally purposeful in creation.

His favorite part was the colors. The way the brilliant shades of greens, purples, blues, and reds mingled and mixed together was much more beautiful than any song he had heard, poem he had read or any painting he had seen. It was perfect in nearly every way, and in these final moments, they offered him comfort.

He swallowed hard, averting his gaze from the sky before his hand found the dagger at his hip. His eye twitched slightly as he became increasingly aware of the pounding in his chest, doing his best to level his breathing. As his fingers found the grip, he slowly unsheathed the blade and studied it carefully. The surface of the blade sparkled with the reflection of the starry night sky, creating a dazzling show of lights across the blade. Turning the dagger over, the Mark of Grima shone vibrantly across the back of his hand, reminding him of the task at hand.

His thoughts drifted back to the others. Had they even realized his absence? Should he have said more to his allies while he was with them? He shook his head once more as he closed his eyes and tightened his grip on his blade.

In the darkness, visions began to materialize in his head. First, he saw Chrom and Lissa's faces peering down at him as he lay in the grass. The scene faded to his room in Yllistol, where his white-haired daughter looked up at him and smiled while Chrom and Lucina stood in the doorway, studying him. He hadn't realized it in the moment, but now he could swear he caught a glimpse of sympathy in Lucina's eyes. The scene faded again, and he found himself with Lissa, sitting at the base of an old tree, studying the bustling city of Ylisstol. Her head came to rest on his shoulder as he smiled. He looked down to her and their eyes met. They were quiet for a moment before her mouth opened to speak.

"Robin?"

Robin's eyes shot open as he looked up, confused. He cocked his head to the side, much like a dog would upon hearing a high pitched whistle. At first, he dismissed it as part of the vision, but it sounded too real. What was-

"Robin!"

His eyes widened as he turned from atop his boulder to see Lissa breaking into a run towards him, before being stopped by Chrom's arm. She squinted at Chrom, obviously displeased before she followed his gaze into Robin's hand, the blade in his hands glinting fiercely in the starlight.

Chrom lowered his arm, now looking the tactician in the eyes. "Robin? What do you think you're doing out here?"

Several familiar figures followed at his flank, eyeing Robin carefully. They all saw it- Robin's knuckles grew white around the wooden grip of the dagger.

Robin's lip shook, searching for the correct words to say. "You shouldn't have come looking for me, Chrom."

"Robin, I know you. I know this look," Chrom said slowly, raising an eyebrow as he studied his friend's face before glancing down towards the dagger in his hand. "I need you to calm down and think before you do something stupid, okay?"

Robin's jaw tightened as his eyes met Lissa's, registering the silent plea in her gaze.

"You aren't safe," he said shakily, eyes still glued to hers. "None of you are safe around me, and you know that. Please, leave me to do what I need to do. Don't make this harder."

Chrom studied him for a moment before speaking again. "Dueling with unpleasant thoughts?"

Robin looked back to him before averting his eyes towards the ground. "Yeah. Yeah, you could say that."

"W-we don't blame you, Robin," Lissa stuttered quietly.

Robin recoiled slightly at the words, eyes squinting as he fought for the right response. He glanced quickly towards the others in the group. Frederick, Virion, Owain, Lucina and Morgan all watched him with silent, unspoken agreement.

"What? How?" Robin asked, confusion painted on his face. "How could you not blame me? This is _my_ fault! This is _my _fault, and you know it! I'm the one who compromised the Emblem, _not_ one of you! How can you continue to defend me? I don't care if Validar had control over my mind- I have to be stronger than that! I _need _to be stronger than that!"

"Robin," Chrom began in a low tone.

"No. Don't _Robin_ me," Robin shot back, voice raising. "You guys are ridiculous! All the evidence you need has been laid out for you on a silver fucking platter! I _kill _you, Chrom! I've seen it!"

Robin turned to address Lucina, extending a finger to her. "And you, Lucina, should know this better than anyone. It's me, isn't it? I'm the one who cuts your father down in your time, aren't I?"

Her eyes widened, jaw clenching and staring at him with a fiery expression that gave him all the confirmation he needed.

"Yeah," he said, quietly. "I had thought so."

Robin sighed, returning his gaze to the Exalt, a fierceness in his eyes that were hardly ever seen from him. "Cut me down, Chrom."

Eyes widened and gasps exploded from the group before him as they stared in disbelief at their tactician. He eyed each of his friends individually, acting as a silent clarification to his words. As he studied them, he noticed a pained look on Owain's face that he couldn't quite decipher.

"Pray, Robin, you mustn't act so rashly," Virion pleaded. "This is most unlike you!"

Chrom simply scoffed in amazement. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

Robin rolled his eyes in annoyance. "For the love of Naga, Chrom, don't make this difficult. You know that I'm too dangerous to be left alive. Were you not listening just now when I said that _I'm_ the traitor? That _I'm the one who murders you?!"_

Thinking over his words, Chrom's eyes softened in understanding. Taking a deep breath, he took a step towards Robin, hand raised in a disarming manner. "Hey, come on..."

In response, Robin's grip on the blade tightened as he raised the blade above his head, pointing down towards himself.

"Don't, Chrom," he warned. "Or I'll do it myself."

Chrom's eyes widened, stopping in his tracks. "You wouldn't..."

"Robin, this is lunacy!" he heard Frederick say from the group amongst a second wave of gasps.

He simply received a smirk from the tactician in response. "Oh? Last I heard, you wanted me dead more than I did."

Frederick frowned. "I... came to terms, I suppose. I acted harshly in the castle."

"Robin, _please,_" a small voice said to his left.

Robin paused, looking to where Lissa stood fiddling nervously with her hands.

"I.. I think we should talk this out," she said quietly. "We should go back to camp, sit down with eachother, and figure this out together."

"Lissa... You know I can't do that. I'm not going to let further harm come to you, to Chrom... to any of you."

She looked to her shoes for a moment before speaking again.

"Who says you can't fight it, Robin? I know you, and I trust you," she began, taking short, methodical steps towards him. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, okay? You can fight it- I know you can."

Robin simply stared at her, a stinging sensation starting to form in the corners of his eyes.

"Lissa, I... I'm sorry..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw a flash of movement to his right before he felt two hands grip his wrists at the same time as his hands came down towards his stomach. The two pairs of hands stopped in the air, the only thing separating blade from flesh. Shocked, Robin turned to face Chrom, who wore a labored look on his face.

"Drop it, Robin!"

The two struggled against eachother for a few moments, the blade's distance to Robin's torso shortening and lengthening as the two fought for superiority over the other. In a last ditch effort, Robin reared his head back before launching it forcefully into Chrom's forehead with a sickening thud.

Chrom staggered back, lights beginning to swirl in his eyes as Robin saw his opportunity- the only thing separating him and his dagger now was the crisp, night air. Closing his eyes, he brought the blade down to his stomach in a short, swift motion.

The sound cut through the panic as it punctured his cloth and entered his stomach. In another violent motion, he twisted the blade, causing him to grimace and hiss from the pain that shot through his body.

"No!"

"Father, no!"

"Dad!"

_Wait, _he thought as his vision went blurry. _Father?_

The next few minutes were a blur. As one pair of hands desperately removed the blade, another forcefully pushed him to the ground as the dagger was tossed to the ground beside him. The shuffling and shouting became a muffled jargon in his ears as he lay on his back, world swirling around him. Opening his eyes, he met Lissa's. She was shouting something, but he couldn't focus hard enough on the words to hear what she was saying. In her hands, a healing staff was hovering over the wound in his stomach, soft energy tugging at the puncture wound and making his body feel as if it could be swept away by the slightest gust of wind.

Smiling up at her, he weakly raised a hand towards her before slipping out of consciousness.

* * *

Coming to with a groan, Robin struggled to open his eyes. Now that he was awake, he became acutely aware of the burning in his stomach, as well as the dizziness in his head.

"Thank Naga, he's awake!"

Forcing his eyes open, he saw several pairs of legs rushing towards him. Looking to his sides, he lifted his hands to find them covered in blood- the Mark of Grima's bright glow bursting through the liquid covering his right hand.

"Gods, Robin, what were you thinking?" Lissa half-laughed, half-sobbed.

Blinking and shaking his head, he turned to face the source of the voice. He found Lissa, puffy and red eyes showing that she had been crying. Slowly, he began to remember what he had just done.

He tried to respond to her, but the only sound that he made was a scratchy rasp. Clearing his throat, he spoke. "I'm sorry. Gods, I'm sorry."

In response, she took his hand and squeezed tightly, as if she were the only thing anchoring him to the world. Under normal circumstances, he would scold her for squeezing too hard, but now wasn't the time. Turning to his Exalt, he smiled weakly. "Thanks, Chrom."

Chrom huffed a gust of air out of his nose in disbelief. "Lords above, why is it always my responsibility to save you from your terrible ideas?"

Robin chuckled, causing him to fall into a coughing fit.

"Ow," he laughed. "Someone around here's gotta keep me in line."

Glancing around the worried faces staring back at him, a thought suddenly popped into his head that made him stop cold. His eyes shot to Owain, the pieces finally registering.

"Wait a second... Owain?"

Two voices had called out for their fathers when he threw the blade into himself.

His mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he studied the son he didn't know he had until that very moment. Owain recoiled back, realizing that his emotional slip-up had revealed the truth to his father.

Robin's gaze frantically shot towards Lissa, her expression showing that she also realized her son's mistake. They read each-other's eyes for a moment before Robin pulled her towards him and their lips met.

The heart is a complicated thing. It can be misleading, and sometimes, the heart can flat out lie to you. But the heart can be a powerful tool when used appropriately. The heart is always searching, even if it isn't sure what it's searching for- the heart doesn't know what it's looking for until it has found it.

The two of them, joined together in that moment, was all Robin could ever ask for.


End file.
